A cash-based intervention and the risk of acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months living in internally displaced persons camps in Mogadishu, Somalia: A non-randomised cluster trial.

Background: Somalia has been affected by conflict since 1991, with children aged <5 years presenting a high acute malnutrition prevalence. Cash-based interventions (CBIs) have been used in this context since 2011, despite sparse evidence of their nutritional impact. We aimed to understand whether a CBI would reduce acute malnutrition and its risk factors.

An emergency cash transfer program promotes weight gain and reduces acute malnutrition risk among children 6-24 months old during a food crisis in Niger.

Background: Assessment of the impact of emergency cash transfer programs on child nutritional status has been difficult to achieve due to the considerable logistic and ethical constraints that characterize humanitarian settings.

Methods: We present the findings from a quasi-experimental longitudinal study of a conditional emergency cash transfer program implemented by Concern Worldwide in 2012 during a food crisis in Tahoua, Niger, in which the use of a concurrent control group permits estimation of the program's impact on child weight gain. Program beneficiaries received three transfers totaling approximately 65% of Niger's gross national per capita income; mothers attended mandatory sessions on child and infant feeding and care practices.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Ventral Hernia Repair: Designing a Qualitative Assessment Tool.

Background: Current hernia patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures were developed without patient input, greatly impairing their content validity.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual model for PRO measures for ventral hernia (VH) patients.

Methods: Fifteen semi-structured, concept elicitation interviews and two focus groups employing nominal group technique were conducted with VH patients.

Perceptions of Family Participation in Intensive Care Unit Rounds and Telemedicine: A Qualitative Assessment.

Background: Family-centered rounds involve purposeful interactions between patients' families and care providers to refocus the delivery of care on patients' needs.

Objectives: To examine perspectives of patients' family members and health care providers on family participation in rounds in the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) and the potential use of telemedicine to facilitate this process.

Methods: Patients' family members and surgical ICU care providers were recruited for semistructured interviews exploring stakeholders' perspectives on family participation in ICU rounds and the potential role of telemedicine.

Information-sharing to improve learning about community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) and its impact.

Background: Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) affects 19 million children worldwide annually. The community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) approach was first piloted in 2000. Endorsed by the United Nations in 2007, the approach has been introduced in over 60 countries.

Development of a competency framework for the nutrition in emergencies sector.

Objective: There is a recognised need to strengthen capacity in the nutrition in emergencies sector and for greater clarity on the role of emergency nutritionists and the skills they require. Competency frameworks are an important tool for human resource development and have been developed for several other humanitarian sectors. We therefore developed a technical competency framework for practitioners in nutrition in emergencies.

Protecting and improving breastfeeding practices during a major emergency: lessons learnt from the baby tents in Haiti.

Problem: The 2010 earthquake in Haiti displaced about 1.5 million people, many of them into camps for internally displaced persons. It was expected that disruption of breastfeeding practices would lead to increased infant morbidity, malnutrition and mortality.

Cost-effectiveness of community-based management of acute malnutrition in Malawi.

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) to prevent deaths due to severe acute malnutrition among children under-five. The analysis used a decision tree model to compare the costs and effects of two options to treat severe acute malnutrition: existing health services with CMAM vs existing health services without CMAM. The model used outcome and cost data from a CMAM programme in Dowa district, Malawi and a set of key assumptions regarding treatment-seeking behaviour and mortality outcomes.